For the second time in the 2021 NFL season, cameras have caught Rams All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald attempting to choke an opposing player.
The latest such instance came in the "Monday Night Football" playoff game between the 4-seed Rams and 5-seed Cardinals, a game in which Los Angeles thoroughly dominated Arizona in a 34-11 victory. The Rams' margin of victory, however, did not dissuade Donald from getting into it with seventh-year offensive lineman D.J. Humphries.
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The altercation occurred on the Cardinals' first drive of the second half — after the Rams had already taken a 28-0 lead. Following a 23-yard pass from Kyler Murray to Christian Kirk to the Rams' 14-yard line, Donald was seen getting into it with Humphries. As players and officials attempted to separate the two, Donald attempted to place his hands around Humphries' neck before the latter shoved Donald's facemask:
Aaron Donald is NOT the one! 🏈 pic.twitter.com/K1nbMhGyBg
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 18, 2022
Here's a close-up of Donald attempting to choke Humphries:
Aaron Donald choking a player with “stop hate” on the back of his helmet lmaooooo pic.twitter.com/mtBXrYAx5t
— Lamar & Order: RPO (@moneymarlo44) January 18, 2022
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Donald was assessed an unnecessary roughness penalty, giving the Rams first-and-goal from the 7. Two plays later, the Cardinals scored their first and only touchdown of the game to make it 28-8 following a successful two-point conversion attempt. Donald finished the game credited with one tackle, half a sack and one quarterback hit.
The NFL has not yet levied a fine against Donald for his actions, though it's worth noting he has already been fined this year for attempting to choke Packers offensive lineman Lucas Patrick during the teams' Week 12 meeting (a 36-28 Packers win). Donald received a $10,300 fine the following week despite not getting penalized during the game:
Aaron Donald is out here forcing offensive linemen to tap out pic.twitter.com/GHXhP8BKC4
— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) November 29, 2021
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It's also worth noting that Donald — who has been fined a total of 10 times for in-game infractions — has routinely been seen getting into altercations with opposing players, often grabbing them around their head and neck area.
Aaron Donald definitely wears black Air Forces before each game 💀 pic.twitter.com/fuhPuNjOdw
— Jukedly on Instagram ⚡️ (@JukedlyIG) January 12, 2022
The Rams return to action on Sunday in a divisional-round meeting vs. Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.